Gregory Mountain Products, known as the outdoor industry leader in backpack fit, comfort and technology, celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony at the company’s new headquarters on the Black Diamond campus in Holladay, UT yesterday.

State and local dignitaries, including Governor Gary R. Herbert, Holladay Mayor Dennis Webb, Jeff Edwards of EDCUtah, and Spencer Eccles from GOED will attend to show their support for Black Diamond’s recent merger with Gregory Mountain Products in 2010, and to celebrate the expansion of the outdoor industry’s presence throughout the state.

“It is difficult to think of outdoor recreation in Utah without thinking of Black Diamond and Peter Metcalf. Utah’s preeminence in the Outdoor Products and Recreation industry is in no small part a result of Peter’s early and earnest promotion and leadership of the industry in the state,” said Governor Gary R. Herbert. “It is fitting that on the same day Black Diamond is holding this celebration of their impressive growth, Peter is being honored as “Entrepreneur of the Year”.

“We are so pleased as a city and community to have Black Diamond and Gregory Packs reside within our boundaries,” said Mayor Dennis Webb. “The entrepreneurial spirit of Peter Metcalf and all of the employees associated with this wonderful company exemplify the American dream. Any great company or great cause has as its origin and roots great visionary leadership. No one exemplifies that more than Peter Metcalf. Our congratulations to Peter for the well deserved “Entrepreneur of the Year” award he will receive later today.”

“Black Diamond and Gregory share a deep passion for the outdoors and for designing and manufacturing some of the best technical and authentic outdoor equipment on the market,” said Peter Metcalf, co-founder, president and CEO for Black Diamond. “In the combined organization, we now have much deeper resources to strategically grow our presence in all of the markets we serve.”

Both Gregory and Black Diamond are major global players in the outdoor and ski industries, with a combined $125 million in annual revenues, and will collectively create 55 new full-time positions at the facilities in Salt Lake County over the next ten years as a result.

“Gregory Mountain Products relocation to Utah under the umbrella of Black Diamond Equipment, Inc. is a great example of expanding existing companies’ presence through our workforce, business environment and public/private partnerships,” says Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of Economic Development Corporation of Utah. “Gregory will make an excellent addition to our robust Outdoor Products Industry in the State.”

“We are excited by the complementary nature of our brands and for the bright future that lies ahead,” added Wayne Gregory, founder at Gregory Mountain Products. “The new business platform will strengthen our global foundation with the same authenticity, pride and commitment that has defined Gregory over the past 34-years.”

Attendees are invited to tour the new Gregory facility and meet key players from both brands, including founder Wayne Gregory and his product development team making the move from Sacramento, Calif. to the Salt Lake area. Peter Metcalf will officially introduce and welcome the new team, while recognizing Gregory as a longtime industry leader in expedition, backpacking and daypack innovation.

About EDCUtahEDCUtah is an investor-based public/private partnership working to promote the state of Utah. EDCUtah specializes in being a comprehensive source of critical economic data, as well as both public and private contacts in order to facilitate the recruitment of out-of-state companies and the expansion of local business. For more information on Economic Development Corporation of Utah, visit www.edcutah.org.

About the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)

Web: www.business.utah.gov

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) charter is based on Governor Gary Herbert’s commitment to economic development statewide. The mandate for this office is to provide rich business resources for the creation, growth and recruitment of companies to Utah and to increase tourism and film production in the state. GOED accomplishes this mission through the administration of programs that are based around targeted industries or “economic clusters” that demonstrate the best potential for development. GOED utilizes state resources and private sector contracts to fulfill its mission. For more information please contact: Michael Sullivan, 801-538-8811 or mgsullivan@utah.gov

About Gregory Mountain Products

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2007, Gregory Packs has been the longtime leader in expedition, backpacking and day packs. Gregory is world-renowned for setting durability, comfort and performance standard in backpacks. In recent years, Gregory won awards for its pack designs from such diverse media outlets as Backpacker Magazine, Outside Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, Popular Science, Men’s Journal, Consumers Digest and Alpinist Magazine. Responsible for many industry firsts in backpacking fit and design, the Gregory research and design team, including company founder Wayne Gregory, continues to lead the way in innovative backpack technology and performance. For more information about Gregory packs, visit www.gregorypacks.com or call 877.477.4292.

About Black Diamond Equipment, Inc.

Celebrating its 22nd Anniversary, Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. is a manufacturer of equipment for rock climbing, alpinism and freeride skiing. With global operations based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Reinach, Switzerland and Zhuhai, China, Black Diamond’s passion for mountain sports is not only multi-dimensional, but also multi-national. By consistently building innovative, standard-setting products and actively preserving the mountain environment, Black Diamond has assumed a leadership role in the international outdoor community. For more information on Black Diamond visit www.BlackDiamondEquipment.com.